Christmas is a time of family and celebration. Decorated Christmas trees, garlands and glitter abound. This year, why don’t you set a table that will bring some extra cheer to your dinner!

Rather than setting a single flower arrangement in the middle of the table, consider purchasing a collection of single red and white roses. Pick the petals off and sprinkle them around the table.

For a seasonal twist, replace the rose petals with cranberries and cinnamon sticks. And for your centerpiece, place a simple bowl in the middle filled with holiday greenery. Push cloves in to oranges and place them in the bowl. Distribute cranberries and cinnamon sticks around the oranges.

Your table will not only be elegant, but will smell delicious too. Merry Christmas!

When I was young I would go to the movies with my parents and become completely engrossed in the story on the screen. The movies would take me to far away places within seconds of the opening credits.

Sadly, my children will never be able to experience the potential magic of “the big screen.” Today, we went to the movies with great anticipation. That was when I came to the unhappy realization that society has reached an all time low.

At what point did people become so attached to cell phones that they can’t turn them off for the simple pleasure of a two hour movie. Throughout the entire film I was distracted from flashes of glowing cell phone screens as theater-goers checked voice mail, texted and even took pictures.

The movies are no longer the movies as they used to be. They are simply temporary distractions in between highly critical text messages. I am sorry to say we have lost something magical, and I don’t see any chance of it coming back.

At some point, people have got to realize that turning off a cell phone for a few hours will actually make their lives better – not worse. Until then, I will be waiting until “the movie comes out on DVD.”